Swine Flu

Outbreaks of swine flu around the world seem to lend credence to the theory that a second round of the pandemic will strike the United States in the fall of 2009.

“The global spread of swine flu will endanger more lives as it speeds up in coming months and governments must boost preparations for a swift response,” the World Health Organization (WHO) said August 21, 2009.

H1N1 influenza virus, otherwise known as swine flu, popped up in Mexico in March, 2008. Now in Australia where the winter season has begun, Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon is reassuring parents the swine flu is no more dangerous than regular seasonal flu. “Most people, including children, will experience very mild symptoms and recover without any medical intervention,” she said.[1]

Nonetheless, the WHO is calling for a fast-tracked international vaccination campaign. The U.S. government has ordered 195 million doses of the swine flu vaccine to date. The U.S. has never tried to immunize so many so quickly. There are a lot of concerns.

The British medical journal Lancet wrote in August, 2009:

“Safety of an H1N1 vaccine is a concern. Many national regulatory agencies have set-up fast-track approval processes for the H1N1 vaccine, which means that a vaccine might be licensed without the usual safety and efficacy data requirements. Vaccine safety will therefore have to be monitored through post-marketing surveillance. But some fear a repeat of the 1976 H1N1 outbreak in the USA, where mass vaccination was associated with complications, which stopped the campaign and led to the withdrawal of the vaccine. Countries need to assess carefully the risks and benefits of rapid approval of an H1N1 vaccine, especially since the disease has so far been mild with most patients making a full recovery. They must also ensure that they have strong post-marketing surveillance in place before rolling out a vaccine.”[2]

In 1976 the U.S. government ordered a mass vaccination drive in response to a swine flu outbreak. It was abruptly stopped after 30 people died as a direct result of the vaccinations and some 500 people reported developing Guillain-Barre syndrome, a paralyzing disorder, after getting the flu vaccine. Unanswered questions regarding the outbreak remain to this day. A “60 Minutes” news segment on the 1976 vaccination campaign can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ro1WL5ketWg

ADJUVANTS

Several thorny issues exist around vaccine manufacture and approval. One way to ease supply problems is the use of adjuvants in a vaccine. Adjuvants are usually oil-water emulsions or aluminum salts. On July 7, 2009, WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization recommended that vaccine formulated with oil-in-water adjuvants and live-attenuated influenza vaccines should be promoted to help increase the global supply of a vaccine and because they are better at protecting against strain variations.

Adjuvants can be added to inactivated vaccines (ones without the live virus) to boost their efficacy by stimulating the immune system to respond to the vaccine more vigorously. Adjuvants also reduce the amount of vaccine required per dose. However, they often heighten unpleasant side effects.

According to Meryl Nass, M.D., an authority on the anthrax vaccine:

“The US government has contracted with at least 5 pharmaceutical manufacturers to develop and produce H1N1 vaccines, using a variety of platforms and manufacturing methods … A novel feature of the two H1N1 vaccines being developed by companies Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline is the addition of squalene-containing adjuvants to boost immunogenicity and dramatically reduce the amount of viral antigen needed. This translates to much faster production of desired vaccine quantities.”[3]

Squalene is a type of oil, originally obtained from shark liver oil and a biochemical precursor to steroids.

Animal studies have shown that squalene adjuvants may generate autoimmune versions of arthritis, multiple sclerosis and other conditions. A 2000 study published in the American Journal of Pathology demonstrated that a single injection of the adjuvant squalene into rats triggered “chronic, immune-mediated joint-specific inflammation,” also known as rheumatoid arthritis.[4]

Currently there are two squalene-containing flu vaccines licensed in Europe. Fluad is licensed for adults 65 and older; Focetria is licensed for adults as a pandemic vaccine. Neither has been subjected to large scale pediatric studies. The FDA has never approved the general use of any vaccine containing squalene in the United States – until now. Well, maybe.

One of the many controversies swirling around vaccines is whether squalene was used as an adjuvant in anthrax vaccines given during the 1990-1991 period to Gulf War soldiers. A 2000 Tulane Medical School study found that “The majority of symptomatic GWS patients had serum antibodies to squalene” and concluded that squalene played a role in Gulf War Syndrome.[5]

Aluminum salts are the most commonly used adjuvant, but they are not as powerful as squalene. The side effect of aluminum salts is possible hyperactivity of the immune system. Just like an allergy, if a person is allergic to the vaccine’s contents, the body’s immune system causes extreme inflammation, which is a more dangerous situation than what the vaccine was intended to prevent. The inflammation can cause nerve damage. The neurotoxic effects of aluminum were recognized a hundred years ago. Aluminum has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological disorders.

MERCURY

On July 30, 2009, the Washington Post confirmed that the swine flu vaccine will contain mercury,[6] a neuro-toxin linked with autism and neurological disorders.

The swine flu vaccine will come in multi-dose vials containing thimerosal, another term for ethyl mercury. It is an antibacterial additive. Multi-dose vials typically hold 10 doses which means 10 different times a needle will be inserted through the rubber top. Even though each needle is new and sterile, it is necessary to have an antibacterial additive for multi-dose vials.

The “autism epidemic” in the U.S. took hold about 1991, which is when vaccines for children doubled. Epidemiologist Tom Verstraeten and Dr. Richard Johnston, an immunologist and pediatrician from the University of Colorado, both concluded that thimerosal was responsible for the dramatic rise in cases of autism; their findings were dismissed by the CDC.[7]

Personally, I believe that autism is not necessarily caused by mercury in vaccines, but rather by an overwhelming toxic body burden. Mercury is part of that toxic load, and for some children, the dose of it in a vaccine may the “final straw.” Children who have not been vaccinated have developed autism. Your genetics dictate how easily you excrete mercury.

Sanofi-Aventis, one drug maker, says it plans to market a thimerosal-free version of the vaccine.

WARNINGS FROM ABROAD

A British paper, the Daily Mail, published an article August 15, 2009, that said:

“A warning that the new swine flu jab is linked to a deadly nerve disease has been sent by the Government to senior neurologists in a confidential letter … It tells the neurologists that they must be alert for an increase in a brain disorder called Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), which could be triggered by the vaccine … The letter, sent to about 600 neurologists on July 29, is the first sign that there is concern at the highest levels that the vaccine itself could cause serious complications. It refers to the use of a similar swine flu vaccine in the United States in 1976 when more people died from the vaccination than from swine flu.

“Dr Tom Jefferson, co-ordinator of the vaccines section of the influential Cochrane Collaboration, an independent group that reviews research, said: ‘New vaccines never behave in the way you expect them to. It may be that there is a link to GBS, which is certainly not something I would wish on anybody. But it could end up being anything because one of the additives in one of the vaccines is a substance called squalene, and none of the studies we’ve extracted have any research on it at all.’ He said squalene, a naturally occurring enzyme, could potentially cause so-far-undiscovered side effects.”[8]

3 SHOTS THIS FLU SEASON?

Officials will launch the seasonal flu vaccine campaign September 10, 2009, about a month early in the hopes of vaccinating as many people as possible before the swine flu campaign. Officials say the more people who get both vaccines, the less likely the swine flu virus will mingle with one of the others to produce a more dangerous mutant.

The seasonal flu vaccine is a single dose for teens and adults. Children under 9, who have never received the flu shot before, typically need two doses of seasonal vaccine, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“Seasonal flu vaccine campaigns usually focus on the elderly and people of all ages with chronic diseases that can put them at higher risk of potentially dangerous complications”, said Carol Baker, a member of the government’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). “The pandemic flu is striking a much younger population, including pregnant women, so the ACIP recommended that it be given to pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months old, health care workers, people ages 6 months to 24 years and people 25 to 64 who have chronic illnesses or immune problems. We anticipate that everybody’s going to need two doses of the pandemic vaccine. That’s because the swine flu virus is so different from typical viruses that very few people — except maybe the elderly, who have been around longer and may have encountered a virus like it — have been exposed to it”, she says. “That makes most of us like children, lacking immunity and needing a booster dose.”[9] The two swine flu shots will come a week apart.

36,000 DIE ANNUALLY – PR OR SCIENCE?

One of the most often repeated mantras of the campaign to vaccinate against the flu is that “A normal flu season kills about 36,000 Americans and hospitalizes 200,000.”[10,11]

But a little research turns up an inconvenient truth – no where near 36,000 people die each year from the flu.

So how does the CDC get from 753 flu deaths to 36,000 annual flu deaths? By combining flu deaths with pneumonia deaths. The CDC National Vital Statistic Report for 2002 (p.4) lists Influenza and Pneumonia as the 7th leading cause of death in 2002. However, 753 of those deaths were flu associated and 65,321 were pneumonia associated. If all flu associated deaths are removed, pneumonia associated deaths still ranks number 7 by itself.

And the CDC’s justification for that? “Flu-related deaths are deaths that occur in people for whom influenza infection was likely a contributor to the cause of death, but not necessarily the primary cause of death.”[12]

The British Medical Journal wrote a scathing critique of the CDC’s numbers. In an article entitled, “Are U.S. Flu Death Figures More PR Than Science?” they pretty much hit the nail on the head:

“US data on influenza deaths are a mess. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) acknowledges a difference between flu death and flu associated death yet uses the terms interchangeably. Additionally, there are significant statistical incompatibilities between official estimates and national vital statistics data. Compounding these problems is a marketing of fear—a CDC communications strategy in which medical experts ‘predict dire outcomes’ during flu seasons … CDC is working in manufacturers’ interest by conducting campaigns to increase flu vaccination.”[13]

An August 12th editorial in the Wall Street Journal by two doctors puts the vigorous swine flu vaccination campaign in perspective:

“Compare this response to the scant media and political attention that have been given to several silent but no less deadly outbreaks of disease in recent years caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Most such outbreaks are treated as the poor stepsisters of pandemic influenza, even while they have killed far more people than swine flu over the same period.”[14]

One thing we know for sure about the statistics – people 65 and older have contracted swine flu at the lowest rate of any age group. The elderly appear to be largely protected because of exposure to other distantly related flu strains that circulated decades ago. And that speaks volumes about the nature of immunity.

IMMUNITY

Historically, an infection passes through the population, felling those whose immune systems are weak. A prevailing theory says the rest of the population then has immunity to that infectious agent because they have been exposed and their bodies developed memory cells that “remember” each specific pathogen encountered, and are able to mount a strong response if the pathogen is detected again.

While the CDC campaigns vigorously each year for vaccinations, the historical record reveals that infectious diseases declined 90 percent before mass vaccination was ever introduced. A major sanitation reform movement swept Europe during the 1800s. Plumbing systems were developed, creating a sewer system other than streets, and water distribution systems were upgraded to prevent bacterial contamination. All the old terror diseases of plague, black death, and cholera responded to these reforms, and epidemics declined throughout the 1800s, long before the advent of vaccination. Even the CDC reported in 1999 that:

“The 19th century shift in population from country to city that accompanied industrialization and immigration led to overcrowding in poor housing served by inadequate or nonexistent public water supplies and waste-disposal systems. These conditions resulted in repeated outbreaks of cholera, dysentery, TB, typhoid fever, influenza, yellow fever, and malaria.

“By 1900, however, the incidence of many of these diseases had begun to decline because of public health improvements, implementation of which continued into the 20th century.”[15]

The concept that epidemic diseases were ended by sanitation reforms is reinforced when natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina destroy sanitation systems and roads, bringing epidemic diseases with the collapse of the infrastructure. Vaccination does not end these epidemics – the restoration of basic services restores health.

Germs seek their natural habitat – weakened and diseased tissue. Just as a lawn that is stressed from too little water and nutrition grows weeds, a stressed human inner terrain invites pathogens to take hold.

According to the CDC, by June of 2009, one million Americans had already been exposed to H1N1 swine flu and didn’t know it; they had no symptoms. When the body is exposed to a new virus, a strong immune system makes its own antibodies, making you immune to further infections from that virus. That is why you get childhood illnesses generally just once. By now, several millions of Americans have already survived H1N1 swine flu; their healthy immune systems have done their job of keeping them well.

PREPARE FOR FLU

I do not recommend seasonal flu shots. They come with mercury and they simply don’t work that well to begin with. I do not recommend the swine flu shot. The risks are not worth the possible benefit. And so far, swine flu has produced mild symptoms and most people recover without any medical intervention.

When you cough or sneeze, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue – or your sleeve if you do not have a tissue. Throw used tissues in a trash can. When people use their hands to cover a sneeze, their hands tend to spread germs around. Germs left on a shopping cart for example can live up to 48 hours. After you cough or sneeze, wash your hands with soap and water.

Official guidelines for schools recommend that isolation “should continue for at least 24 hours after patients’ temperatures returns to normal or their fever breaks without the use of medication.”

At The Arizona Center for Advanced Medicine, we have lots of safe, effective options for both preventing flu, and dealing with it if does grabs you.

Influenza is a virus, and immensely susceptible to vitamin C. First, take extra amounts of vitamin C. At about 10,000 mg you get “bowel intolerance” which means you head for the bathroom a lot. As a preventive measure, aim for something less than that, but perhaps more than what you usually take. You may also wish to increase your vitamin D – flu often hits harder in the winter season when sunlight exposure is less.

If you are feeling as if you are coming down with flu, call us pronto. We will be able to give you intravenous vitamin c – large doses that bypass bowel tolerance and flush viruses out of the system by making them unable to “stick” to cell membranes. We also add glutathione – the body’s own antioxidant, immune system booster, and detoxifier.

For confirmed cases, we can also clean the blood of viruses, fungi and more with UV light. We can add ozone to oxidize (kill) the molecules in the shell of the virus.

If you feel ill on a weekend, use Oscillococcinum. It is an over-the-counter homeopathic remedy. The effectiveness of Oscillococcinum is confirmed by a several double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trials published in the Lancet, the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, and others. Again, take it at the first signs; do not wait 2 days to start it.

Another option is high-grade colloidal silver. Silver’s renowned germicidal abilities come without the downsides of prescription antibiotics. ACS 200® demonstrates a much broader pathogen kill spectrum than traditional prescription antibiotics, antifungal, or antiviral preparations. ACS 200 does not damage human tissue or wipe out good intestinal flora. ACS 200 is proven to kill MRSA, Candida albicans, and Rhinovirus in less than 3 minutes. It is a good tool to use whenever you are in high-exposure environments such as airplanes and schools.

Juice Plus+®, concentrated fruits and vegetables in capsules, chewables, or gummies, has been shown to reduce the duration and intensity of illnesses. It has also been shown in double-blinded, placebo-controlled studies to improve immune system function and prevent DNA damage, reduce oxidative stress, and improve circulation.

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I have a great tip, and a vaccination is not required! My child came home from school the other day saying that they learned to cough and sneeze into their elbow with Germy Wormie, and I was totally taken aback. I always covered with my hands. But I went to the website and now I get it, hands touch, elbows don’t!! Kids can touch 300 surfaces in 1/2 hour and they hate to wash their hands. This is a simple thing that can make a huge difference.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is not a brain disorder. It is an inflammatory disorder of the peripheral nerves those outside the brain and spinal cord. I’d suggest you go to http://www.gbs-cidp.org/ for more information.